Experts have called upon garment manufacturers as well the buyers to join hands to ensure garment workers’ health and nutrition so as to make the sector sustainable.
The observation came in during the 2nd Sustainable Apparel Summit, 2020, being held in capital Dhaka recently.
Organised by the Netherlands-based non-profit international development organisation SNV on 8 November (Sunday), speakers at the event reportedly maintained that malnutrition amongst garment workers was a big issue which was having an adverse implication on the productivity of the sector.
Bangladesh has made commendable progress in the development of workers in the last few years reportedly stated SNV Bangladesh Country Director (Bangladesh, Laos and Myanmar) Dr. Allert Van den Ham, taking part in the event virtually while adding that the RMG sector must be made sustainable to develop it further.
The SNV Bangladesh Country Director thus called upon the factory owners, the buyers, the Government, the donors and all the stakeholders to come up with a joint work-frame to ensure the workers’ health as they are the ‘main driving force of production, and have to be kept healthy’.
Meanwhile, first Vice-President of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Mohammad Hatem, on his part reportedly said that it was possible to meet the expense towards ensuring the health and welfare of the garment workers if there is money and thus called upon the buyers to pay fair price for apparel products.
Getting fair price is still a challenge as garment makers are in debt due to the pandemic, reportedly, underlined the BKMEA first VP.
